I first presented What the Sea Wants as a brief prototype to Indie Game Academy Cohort 3. It was the top choice by popular vote, but I withdrew it in order to develop it into a game with a more ambitious scope, much of which involved expanding the initial bare-bones text into a fully fleshed-out story with developed characters and details. These side-by-side screenshots and text snippets show how four key scenes evolved. (Note: the internal-only prototype includes placeholder images which are not mine.)
As in other excerpts, the alpha text on the right is just one possible variation depending on player choices and stats.
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Prototype |
Alpha |
As captain of the pirate ship North Wind, your crew has just made a lucky score: The freighter Endeavor, loaded with cargo, most of its crew wiped out by disease. Your crew rejoices! They’re ready to head home to enjoy the spoils. |
RODRIGO: From Grenada to Bermuda, from Spain to the Horn, none stand against the might of the North Wind! Rodrigo stands on the stern deck of the Endeavour with his cutlass in the air, cheeks flushed, eyes bright. The rest of the crew is swarming over the deck of the captured schooner, passing around bottles of rum and whooping with delight over the cargo they’ve pulled up from the hold. Rodrigo rubs the lucky silver coin that he wears on a leather band around his wrist. He takes another swig of rum. RODRIGO: Well, Captain? Are you joining the festivities? |
The fastest route to harbor is to cut straight across the ocean, but you may encounter storms or doldrums. Skirting the coast is safer, but slower. You can also keep hunting in hopes of finding more merchant ships. |
OMAR: Well, Captain? Where to? You look at the chart. You’re in the central Atlantic, a little more than halfway out on your voyage from the Azores to your home territory in the Caribbean. Dots on the map mark the ports you’ve visited before: Charleston, Newport, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Bridgetown. CAPTAIN: Charleston? CHIKUMBUTSO: Better not. Our carpenter is still classified as stolen goods. CAPTAIN: Port-au-Prince? CHIKUMBUTSO: We still haven’t lived down the Arson Incident. CAPTAIN: Nassau? CHIKUMBUTSO: Nassau should be safe. So should Bridgetown. OMAR: I don’t know, Rodrigo has left behind a few very salty women there… CHIKUMBUTSO: And that one man. OMAR: Oh right, I forgot all about Alejandro! OMAR: Nassau is farther, but the winds will be with us. Bridgetown is only half the distance, but we’ll have to tack. CHIKUMBUTSO: But there’s still room in the hold. I say we keep sailing around and look for more merchant ships.
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Among the loot, you find some gold bullion covered in fine greenish-gray dust. Some kind of mold? |
NAVIN: There’s a crate over there we can’t get open. PLAYER: What’s so hard about opening a crate? Can’t you smash the lock or shoot it off? NAVIN: It isn’t locked. BLUE: See for yourself. You take a look. The iron bands binding the chest are hammered together into solid bands. There’s no way to open it without smashing the whole thing. PLAYER: Smash it open. The brothers attack the crate with a couple of crowbars. It bursts open in a cloud of dust, making everyone cough. Through the dust, something gleams at you. BLUE: Spanish gold! NAVIN: But what’s that powdery stuff it’s covered with?
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The first mate says, “Captain, the Endeavor is a mighty fine ship. If you give me five good sailors, we can sail her back to harbor and sell her for a good price.” |
As you’re about to leave the Endeavour, Rodrigo catches your arm. RODRIGO: Captain, how long have we been sailing together? PLAYER: Ten years. RODRIGO: Has it really been that long? I guess it has. He looks you in the eye. RODRIGO: Captain, you’ve often told me I should have my own command someday. The Endeavour is a mighty fine ship. If you give me five good sailors, I can sail her to San Juan and take on my own crew. PLAYER: A fine idea! It’s high time you had your own ship. He breaks into a smile. RODRIGO: I know just who I’m going to pick. I’ll take Stubb, Figueroa, Pepper… PLAYER: Hang on, you can’t take Pepper! You said sailors, not cooks! RODRIGO: Oh, fine, not Pepper then. I’ll pick someone else. I won’t let you down, Captain! You’ll see! He lopes off to get the Endeavour prepared to sail. |
The original prototype was rudimentary, but playtests demonstrated that there was a great deal of intrigue and excitement around this story and it was worth fleshing out at length. But the main takeaway from the prototype: Nobody knows what gold bullion is.